What does your day-to-day work look like and what is special about it for you?

Our team's tasks include expanding our business, looking after our customers, developing products and placing policies and representing our customers' interests vis-à-vis their insurers in the event of a claim. In our core segment of airlines, we rarely work with standard products, but instead develop customized coverage concepts together with our insurance partners that take into account the individual insurance needs of our customers and their risk-bearing capacity. Put simply, our work is all about satisfying our customers and offering services that optimally support the 24/7 operations of an airline. Sometimes the phone rings on a Sunday night, e.g. if a major loss has occurred or the insurance cover needs to be adjusted at short notice due to geopolitical crises.

Can you remember a particular insurance case from the last few years that stands out?

For example, I remember a case from 2015 in which an almost brand-new Airbus A330 that we were looking after touched down too hard on the runway in Kathmandu. From the outside, the aircraft looked almost undamaged - but ultimately it turned out that the structure of the aircraft was irreparably damaged and the case had to be settled as a total loss. But what do you do with an Airbus A330 that you can no longer fly out of Nepal? In the end, a local entrepreneur bought the plane, towed it to a parking lot next to the airport and turned it into a museum. So if you are ever in Kathmandu, you can take a look at it there; alternatively you can also see it on Google Maps .... - all very curious. Three weeks later, the tragic Germanwings accident occurred, which will remain in the memory of all my colleagues in the Lufthansa Group forever.

How has your day-to-day business changed over the years, what milestones and special changes have there been?

Business in the aviation industry is changing rapidly. Technological developments in aircraft and engines, procedural changes in aircraft maintenance and increasing digitalization in the customer journey mean that risks are constantly changing. Examples include the introduction of composite materials in aircraft construction, unmanned flight and the introduction of alternative fuels. This in turn requires new solutions from the insurance industry to assess and hedge these risks. Dealing with these emerging risks is not always easy in the highly regulated environment of the insurance industry. At Albatros, we are currently in the process of modernizing our entire IT landscape in order to continue advising our customers individually on risk analysis and their insurance needs in the future and to offer web services that enable stronger networking with the core processes of our customers and business partners.

What excites you about your work?

No two days are the same here. Especially in the international airline business, where airplanes, people and goods move around the world, new challenges arise every day. You don't know today where in the world a loss will occur, how risks will change tomorrow or what external factors, e.g. political tensions or climate change, will have an impact. Our aim is to anticipate these issues proactively or - if the worst comes to the worst - to respond quickly. No matter where and when it happens. I do this every day with an ambitious and committed team. Work is simply fun when you have great people around you. If this is also perceived positively by our customers at the end of the day, it acts as an additional energy booster.

How do you see the collaboration between Delvag and Albatros? 

Very positive. We know our contacts in all areas of Delvag and know who we can approach on which topics. Thanks to our many years of experience in all segments of the aviation industry, we speak to experts at Delvag with whom we work constructively on solutions for our customers. This enables us to offer our customers very special products that are otherwise not available on the insurance market. Flat hierarchies, open doors and the atmosphere of the open-plan office help with open communication and support fast decision-making processes. I see the various companies in the Delvag Group as a group - even if we as brokers and insurers are naturally on different sides of the river and pursue very different interests. Ultimately, however, we are united by the goal of having happy customers and I feel this spirit every day in our cooperation. 

Is there anything you would like to pass on to new employees if they want to start in your area, for example?

Yes, be curious and interested. The aviation industry and the insurance sector offer an infinite number of exciting fields of activity. In no other sector have I experienced such close cooperation with the decision-makers, such a quick response to customer needs and ultimately, in the event of a claim, the promise of benefits actually being kept. With us, you can actively change and help shape things - contribute your own ideas, question the status quo and take responsibility. We always welcome motivated employees who use their own initiative to tackle, drive forward and implement things. In the Delvag Group, you are not an invisible cog in the wheel - here, every colleague knows what they have contributed to the big picture.

Is there anything else you would like to wish Delvag on its 100th anniversary?

I am super grateful that I have been able to work here for over 20 years in fantastic teams and with wonderful colleagues. Ultimately, that's exactly what makes the difference. Although we need modern technology and efficient processes to do our work ...., at the end of the day it is the people, the colleagues who work here and with whom we work with our customers and business partners, who are the basis for our success and who ensure that I enjoy working at the Delvag Group. That is what I personally wish for Delvag for the next 100 years - that it retains these values.

Thank you Florian Pawelzick for the interview and the exciting insights into your work!

The interview was held by Tamara Gmelin, Corporate Communications.